The Flooring Journal

Dark Floors vs Light Floors: Which Floors to Choose?

Written by Southern Luxe Flooring | May 12, 2023 1:08:00 PM

If you are looking for quality flooring, you’ve probably been pondering the issue of dark floors vs light floors. Don’t worry, you are not alone. This is one of the most difficult decisions most people encounter when it comes to choosing a flooring option. So let’s talk about the pros and cons of dark vs light hardwood floors. This information will help you make an educated decision about which route you want to go.

The Pros of Light Hardwood Floors

Here are some of the pros to consider when thinking about light hardwood floors and how they will enhance your space.

  • Will brighten up the interior of any room.
  • Enhances the natural light.
  • Makes a room feel more spacious.
  • Easier to keep clean.
  • Perfect for small spaces.
  • Pairs well with dark furniture.
  • Subtle in tone, which allows the rest of your décor to shine.
  • Brings a modern aesthetic to any room.
  • Does a great job of hiding dirt, scratches, and scuff marks; therefore, is better if you have pets.

The Cons of Light Hardwood Floors

Now let’s look at the cons of installing light hardwood floors.

  • Might show more debris if you have pets with dark hair.
  • More prone to fading.
  • Imperfections are more obvious (stains, gaps, etc.)
  • Looks more washed out in large spaces.
  • Two lighter colors sometimes clash (floor vs cabinets, etc.). This is where a hardwood flooring expert can help.

The Pros of Dark Hardwood Floors

Should you get dark hardwood floors instead? Let’s take a look.

  • Adds a sophisticated look and feel to your home.
  • Increases your home’s value.
  • Extremely popular and currently trending.
  • Dark hardwood absorbs sunlight, unlike light hardwoods, so it’s not prone to fading.
  • Perfect contrast when paired with light-colored walls, furniture, and décor.
  • Adds warmth and ambiance to your home.
  • Dark hardwood floors work well with most décor and are great for large spaces.
  • Easier to touch up small dents and dings.

The Cons of Dark Hardwood Floors

  • Not great for small rooms because they make them look smaller.
  • Dirt, dust, and debris are more visible.
  • Scratches are more visible.

Would you like to bring your floors to life? Talk With an Engineered Flooring Expert Today!

Factors to Consider When Choosing Hardwood Flooring

When trying to choose dark vs light floors, there are some questions you should probably answer first.

1. What are the colors of your cabinets, vanities, built-ins, etc.?
If you have light wood cabinets, vanities, built-ins, etc. you might want to go with dark hardwood floors.

2. How will you be using your floors?
If you have pets or kids, dark wood floors will show tracked in dirt much more easily than light wood floors. Additionally, dark wood floors are more likely to show scrapes, scratches, and other damage.


3. What style are your home and décor?
If your home is more rustic, you might want to go with darker hardwood floors. If your home is more modern, contemporary, or minimalist, you might want to go with lighter hardwood floors.


4. Dark vs light floors. Which do you prefer?
You’re the one who must live in your home. So what do you like? Think about the dark vs light hardwood floors for your specific needs. Alternatively, you could base how you design and decorate the rest of your house based on the flooring color you prefer.

What Is the Best Way to Decide Dark vs Light Wood Floors?

Installing new flooring is a huge investment, so it’s important to get it right. And the best way to do that is to talk with a flooring expert. Most flooring companies like Southern Luxe Flooring have trained professionals that would be happy to talk with you about your specific wants and needs.

Find Your Style of Hardwood Flooring with Southern Luxe Flooring

Southern Luxe Flooring offers a full suite of light and dark engineered hardwood flooring, and a wide variety of luxury vinyl options as well. Additionally, they have flooring experts you can consult with and a virtual room builder you can use to design every room in your house. The virtual room builder will enable you to see what the finished product will look like before you buy it.

Southern Luxe only uses the highest quality flooring available. Our goal is to create a fun, headache-free flooring experience you will enjoy. And we will gladly work with you to make it as easy as possible to decide between dark or light wood floors and anything else you might need help with.

What’s Next?

If you want to talk with a flooring expert about dark floors vs light floors, please Contact Southern Luxe today. We offer a full suite of high-quality engineered hardwood and vinyl flooring options to meet any need and budget.

Our team has over 500 years of combined experience when it comes to the hardwood flooring industry. We would love to show you just how easy and cost-effective installing a new quality floor can be.